Contrary to popular belief, the world did not end in 2012.
That being said; if you don’t have an ERP implementation in the works, you might be looking at your own Business Apocalypse in 2013.
The phrase Enterprise Resource Planning has been thrown down, beaten to the ground, and tossed around quite a lot lately. With new products and trends emerging faster than social networks and smart-phones, it’s easy to get lost down a spiraling web portal of buzzwords and acronyms. That is why we are here with a quick and simple explanation of what an ERP system is, does, and can do for your business.
What is ERP?
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is the act of bringing together all the core components of your business into one unified, digital experience. Your entire team can access key information ranging from sales to materials management to Human Resources to marketing, all at the click of a button that anyone can get used to. To summarize; everything you need to know about your business is at your fingertips in real-time.
The benefits of an ERP are pretty self-explanatory; if you have the right information at the right time, you will improve revenue; if you know what is happening and where, you will improve efficiency; and if you have clear lines of communication from top to bottom, you will improve employee morale. Another often overlooked benefit of an ERP system is the ability to automate certain functions so that no manual overseeing is required. Don’t want a purchase to go through if your budget doesn’t support it? ERP can handle that, and much more.
All these boons to productivity can be applied across multiple industries, too. Manufacturers need better control over their materials and equipment, whilst a college could use it to keep track of student registrations/exam schedules/results etc. Basically; in any situation that deals with large amounts of ever-changing data, an ERP system can organize, search, and retrieve exactly what you want when you want it.
Does all this sound too good to be true? That’s for a good reason; having the best ERP system in place is only the first step to success. For the best results, an ERP implementation needs a solid plan and effective support to work. That is why choosing the right ERP vendor is the second step to success; you need experts who not only understand their business, but who also understand your business. People who are willing to come to you and walk a cubicle-mile in your shoes. A team of professionals who get it right the first time, every time (HINT: we’re talking about us).
So there you have it; ERP explained. To summarize:
- an ERP system brings all your important information into one organized, customized database.
- an ERP system can be used to improve communication, sales, materials purchasing, and everything else.
- an ERP system needs a strong backbone of support from the vendor to be implemented correctly.
That was the easy version. Stay tuned for more posts that delve a little deeper into the world of ERP and other related topics! Please like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and do whatever it is you do on LinkedIn.
The post What is ERP? Read our simple explanation. appeared first on Understanding ERP & CRM Software.
